


Safe in the Dark

by kenim



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV), The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Other, Platonic Relationships, platonic coldflash, the magic of friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-05-22
Packaged: 2018-06-09 22:28:27
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6926200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kenim/pseuds/kenim
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Barry Allen finds himself hurtled into the Time Stream as he attempts to outrun his problem. There he finds Captain Cold stuck as well, and the two must find their way back to time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safe in the Dark

He watched his Father die in front of him.

No, not die.

Death was natural. Peaceful.

His Father was murdered in front of him.

That was insane. Chaos.

And the culprit was gone, a blur of blue lightning in the night. 

Henry Allen's body was crumpled on the floor, but the Flash could not move to it. 

He was frozen.

But for him, frozen was running.

Without cause.

 

Without care.

Without direction.

 

He knew he was breaking all sorts of records, that he should be thrilled with the speeds he was reaching, but his mind was not with him. It floated somewhere in space, a constant scream of pain and anger. His mind needed to stay away, if only for a moment. For now all Barry Allen needed was his feet, carrying him through the streets of Central City, blurs of lightning left in his wake.

The Flash almost never felt his chest heave or his legs burn, but he was acutely aware of both at the moment, that he would need to stop to breathe for the first time since he was struck by that bolt of lightning oh-so long ago.

He didn't need to stop himself. The universe stopped him.

It hurtled him into the Time Stream. 

He was left watching as flashes of his life piled by.

Running as memories of his Parents flooded around him.

Memories of Jay Garrick.

Now Zoom.

Of past Dr. Wells.

Now Eobard.

Of everything.

Now different.

He closed his eyes, not opening them again until he was thrown to a sudden halt.

 

Barry's hands reached out as he fell to the ground, his body flipping as he tumbled into a field of tall grass. He coughed as he blinked his eyes open, sitting on his knees and placing his hands on his thighs. He was surrounded on all sides by a rolling field of wheat grass. As he sat hunched over on his knees it brushed against his shoulders as it waved in the warm wind. There was a single tree in the center, with only two branches. These branches moved like the hands of the clock, the top of the tree twisting to mimic the passage of time.

“Hello?” His voice echoed through the field. “Hello?” He twisted in each direction, remaining on his knees, looking frantically around.

“You look like you've had a rough day.” A familiar voice drawled. Barry's gaze snapped forward, not bothering to hide the tear stains on his cheek or the cuts along his jaw. Leonard Captain Cold Snart stood in front of him.

“You look worse.” Barry said without thinking, his eyes grazing over the other man. His clothes were torn and matted with blood, several scars were crossing over his cheeks, and his left ear was burned nearly out of existence. Barry's gaze flicked to the grass he sat in as he became aware of Leonard's blue gaze burning into him. “Where- Where are we?”

Leonard glanced around, keeping his hands shoved deep inside the pockets of his torn jeans, and shrugged. “Somewhere in the Time Stream.”

Barry made to stand, but his legs shook unsteadily underneath him and he folded in on himself. He offered a few choice words and tentatively reached a hand in Snart's direction. “Help me up?” Snart backed away from it, though the familiar look of cockiness he wore was replaced by something else. 

“Can't do that,” Snart drawled, watching as Barry rolled his eyes and struggled to his legs, steadying himself slowly. “There's been some... Developments since my arrival.” Leonard pulled one hand from a ripped pocket, waving it through the air. Ice formed on his fingertips, a thread of frost wove it's way up his arm, following his every movement like a shadow of cold.

Barry starred in amazement, stumbling a step backwards. “That's new.” He gasped and Len nodded, shoving his hand back into his pocket. Barry didn't mention it further for the time being. Len didn't seem to keen on discussing it. “How do we get out of here?”

“Not sure,” Leonard said, glancing around. “I'm not exactly here on vacation.”

“Why are you here?”

“Don't know. Last I knew I was being blown into smithereens.” He said it so nonchalantly with a casual shrug of the shoulders, making it seem like blowing-up was part of his everyday activities. 

“What?”

“The Legends ran into some trouble. I fixed it.” Barry still starred, his mouth slightly open, and Leonard was sure there were a thousand questions budding there, so he effectively cut them off. “How did you end up here?”

Those words brought it all crashing back.

He was here because he was running.

Away from his problems.

Away from the truth.

Away from everything.

“I-I'm an orphan.” Was all he managed to choke out, and again he fell into the expanse of wheat grass, steadying himself against by pressing his palms against the grass roots. “My Dad... He's-”

“I'm sorry to hear that.” Snart offered, and to Barry's surprise he sounded genuine. “Your Father and I spent some time talking in Iron Heights. He was a good man.”

“He spent so much of his life behind bars.” He wasn't crying as he spoke, instead his voice had gone cold. “For a crime he didn't commit.”

Silence fell over them.

Leonard knew about Henry. His life in bars wasn't so bad.

He was friends with most of the guards.

They would always sneak him things.

He was in the PI Program.

He had made friends with some of the lesser-criminals.

He had made friends with Leonard Snart.

Good friends.

 

“You're an orphan, too.” Barry said after awhile, leaning back, looking up at the older man, and Snart tensed at the comment. “I know about Lewis... What about your Mother?”

Leonard cleared his throat, but said nothing on the matter. “I know we're the only two people here, Scarlet, but I'm not about to go soft on you. Let's just get out of here.”

“Seriously, Snart, what happened to her?” The glare Leonard shot his way was filled with ice. Literally. Barry felt himself freeze to the spot, choking as the air around him dropped to a temperature that lacked any usable oxygen. He fell forward, catching himself on with his hands, gasping. 

Snart realized what was happening and jumped away, forcing his eyes shut and blocking the sounds of Barry's struggle from his mind. A few seconds passed before he heard Barry's breathing become regular, and slowly Len opened his eyes, only to find Barry standing a few feet away, starring back at him. “I didn't-” The apology faded into the air. “Lewis killed my Mother in a drunken rage when I was eleven.”

Barry averted his gaze. “What was she like?”

“Her name was Michaëlle Bass. She was a good woman. She taught at an elementary school and volunteered at Soup Kitchens. She was African-American and I inherited her hair.” Leonard's words were cold and emotionless, an attempt to hide those feelings that were still there, even thirty or so years later. Barry couldn't help but smile at the last comment, and didn't miss the brief ghost of a smirk on Len's lips. “So what do you think, Flash, can you speed us on out of here?”

“I-I don't know-”

“Some superhero.” Leonard drawled, rolling his eyes.

“It's not my fault.” Barry stated angrily, his own eyes narrowing. “All the things I have gone through in the past few months and you're going to stand here and berate because I don't possess whatever magical power it takes to open a portal through time?” Leonard stepped back as Barry approached, still shouting. “You- You-”

“Me what?”

“You're some- !” Barry shouted, reaching out like a child to push him away, being blown backwards in a blast of frozen air as his palms connected with Leonard's chest.

“Barry!” Snart crossed the few feet between them, looking at Barry lying on the ground. His lips were blue and his skin significantly more pale, but otherwise he was fine. 

He was already getting to his feet, taking a few deep breaths. “I'm sorry, Snart.” Barry began, rubbing the back of his head. “I shouldn't have-”

“I just iced you, kid. Don't try apologizing to me.”

“No, I need to keep myself in check, I-” He was knocked backwards by a blast of cold air.

Snart smirked, the familiar devious glint in his brilliant blue eyes. “I said, don't apologize. Get angry.” He stated, voice gruff as he sent another blast of cold air in Barry's direction, effectively sending him falling to his back.

Barry jumped up, pulling a hand through his hair, shaking off the frost that had accumulated there. “Snart, what are you doing?” Barry asked, speeding out of the way just in time to avoid an icicle sent hurtling his way. “--Knock it off!”

“Are you really fucking pissed yet?” Snart shouted, sending another blast in Barry's direction. 

Barry laughed, a little maniacally, racing across the field. Snart spun in all directions, throwing blasts at the blurs of colour that filled the air around him. A few times he heard Barry curse, or saw him slow enough to change directions, but he never landed a direct hit. Honestly, he never tried very hard to. 

He saw the lightning charging towards him, felt Barry's arm knock him over the calves, heard the surprised sound of Barry as the cold force field, or whatever he should call it, around him knocked him backwards. By the time Leonard was back on his feet, Barry was running around him again. His speed sparked flames in the wheat grass he left in his wake, but Snart always iced it before it was out of control.

“Come on, Flash, this all you got?” He called out, his voice laced with mockery as he sent another blast in Barry's direction.

Leonard felt the kids breath on his neck before he was conscious of being knocked to the ground, this time without a blast of frozen air to protect him. He rolled over onto his back, listening to the thump! Of Barry falling in the grass next to him. The grass was much shorter here, where they had landed under the tree, it's branches still ticking away the seconds, minutes, hours. “What am I going to do, Snart? Without my parents?” Sure he hadn't had them his entire life. But know that Henry was dead? It was just... Different.

“Well, you could follow in my steps and become a master criminal.” He chuckled, listening to the light, easy sound of Barry's laughter. “The Rogues could certainly use your speed.”

“Are you going to go back to it?” Barry wondered aloud, turning his head to face Snart, who met it, unwavering. 

“To thieving? Of course. I don't have anything else to do. It's what I'm good at.” He grabbed carelessly at the grass under his palm, encasing it in ice. “Besides, how else would I use these new ice powers?”

“You could help me.”

“Because I did that so well the last time.”

Barry laughed, and Snart was taken aback. He hadn't meant for it to be some old joke between them, but found himself grinning anyways. “No, seriously Snart. Team Flash could really use an extra pair of hands, particularly ones covered in ice.”

“Gideon told me about Zoom, I was curious what Team Flash was up too. I'm sentimental like that.” He smirked, tucking his hands under his head.

“You know, curiosity killed the cat.”

“Well, I am supposed to be dead right now.”

“I'm glad you aren't.” Barry smiled, before turning his gaze back to the clouds. “I don't have to pretend around you, it's nice. You can see right through the bullshit.”

“That's my other superpower.” Both men were left laughing again, before a comfortable silence fell over them, the sun warming their skin. Barry felt strangely at peace, which Leonard would later explain to him was because inside the Time Line, nothing was permanent. Everything was like Schrodinger's cat. Barry's father was both alive and not alive, his mind couldn't properly perceive it when he was at ease. “Barry, we need to find a way out of here.”

“I know.” They both stood up, looking around them, as though the answer was just going to fall from the sky. “I might be able to open a portal. I-I'm not sure, though.”

“It's worth a shot.” Barry sped off at the words, rushing around Len in large, imperfect circles. Len's gaze followed as Barry as accurately as possible, settling on the tree that rose above them as Barry rushed past. It was then he noticed it, that the branches of the tree had frozen as Barry ran. 

“It's not working.” Barry puffed, sliding to a halt next to Len, who's gaze was still transfixed on the tree. 

Again the branches began ticking slowly by. “Try again. This time, hurl a lightning bolt at the tree.”

“What? Are you sure?” 

“No, but it's the only idea I have.” Barry looked apprehensive, but nodded, speeding off anyway. Around and around he went, gathering speed, building force. He slowed as the lightning formed in his palm, letting out a scream as he hurled it at the tree.

Leonard was only a second behind when he sent a blast of ice at the tree, watching as it was engulfed in flames and snow all at once. The limbs of the tree moved in reverse at the conflicting signals, and a portal opened at it's base, sparking with electricity. “Come on!” Leonard shouted, jumping in, hearing Barry's shouts of approval as he leaped in after.

The two spilled out onto the floor of STAR Labs. “What the-- Barry? Leonard?” Caitlin piped up, running over to them.

“Stay back.” Leonard said, noticing she was heading for him, likely because all the cuts he had acquired were bleeding again. 

“I just want to help you, you-”

“I know. But I don't want to kill you.” Caitlin's look of confusion disappeared as swirls of frost wound their way around Leonard's arms. 

The door swung open and Cisco appeared. “What is going on in here- What the--?” His eyes settled on the two men who were struggling to their feet.

“I have to help you Snart, or you're going to bleed out and die.”

“Better me than you.” He stated, to which Caitlin narrowed her eyes. 

“Listen to me, you're going to sit on the end of that bench, and you're going to control yourself. Understand?” He considered arguing, but just nodded, focusing on his breathing as Caitlin approached.

He felt her fingers brush against his skin as she worked a needle into him. “Your hands are cold.”

“Seriously?” She asked, looking up at him under long eyelashes, though her gaze was amused.

“You know what we need to do now?” Cisco asked, not expecting an answer.

“Find Professor X.” He and Len said in unison, causing both to look at each other in an amused confusion.

Caitlin jumped back when she felt the air growing colder around her. “My doppelganger could have been useful right about now.”

“Ah yes, Killerfrost.”

“How do you know about her, Leonard?”

“When you travel through space and time, you hear things.” 

“What even happened to you?” Cisco asked, entering the room fully, standing next to Barry.

Len and Barry looked at each other, and then it was their turn to speak in unison. “It's a long story.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> This is one of my longer fics, and for the most part I like it. There are some obvious parts where I was just let "Meh. Whatever." buttt... I had to be done with this or it was just going to keep growing.


End file.
